P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Larson earns third straight NASCAR Cup pole, beating Gibbs at Texas
Kyle Larson secured his 19th career pole by being the only driver to break into the 28.3s in the final round of qualifying. This marked Hendrick Motorsports’ 250th pole in the Cup Series. Larson expressed his satisfaction with getting three poles in a row and highlighted the intensity and adrenaline rush of the qualifying process. Despite struggling with qualifying since the debut of the Next Gen car, Larson’s commitment paid off as he clinched the pole position.
Toyota drivers initially dominated the qualifying session, but Larson made a strong comeback to secure the top spot, leaving Ty Gibbs behind by 0.035s. The top-ten grid featured Christopher Bell starting third, Tyler Reddick fourth, and Chase Briscoe fifth, with other notable drivers like Byron and Truex starting within the top-ten positions. Meanwhile, drivers like Johnson and Busch missed out on qualifying due to car damage during practice. Larson was the fastest in the session, with Briscoe, Byron, Wallace, and Truex also advancing to the final round. Denny Hamlin will start from 11th on the grid after failing to advance.
